Trunk-lid brace.



Patented May 29, I900. I. W. LAMB.

TRUNK LlD BBACE. (Application filed Nov. 3; 1899.)

No. 650,40l.

(N0 Modal.)

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UNtTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC W. LAMB, OF PERRY, MICHIGAN.

TRUNK-LID Ems.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\'To.650,401-, dated. May29, 1900. Application filed November 3, 1899. fierial No. 735,687- (Iiomodel.)

means for bracing the lid in its open position,

so as to relieve the strain from the hinges and to supportthe lid in asubstantially-horizontal position, so as to serve as a tray forsupporting various articles whilepacking or unpacking the trunk. It isfurthermore designed to provide such a brace which may be applied to anytrunk or similar receptacle without altering or changing theconstruction thereof and which will automatically fold and unfold whenthe lid is being closed and opened, and therefore does not require to beoperated separately from the lid.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size, and minor details maybe made within the scope of theappended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe ad vantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View of a trunk orthe like having the present invention applied thereto and supporting thelid in open position. Fig. 2 illus: trates the position assumed by thebrace when the lid of the trunk is closed and also indicates in dottedlines the intermediate'position of the brace when the lid is in itsvertical position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating amodified arrangement of the brace. Fig. 4 is a detail transversesectional View taken through one end of the trunk and illustrating theadjustable connection between the modified brace and the trunkbody. Fig.5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating another modified form ofthe brace.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings aredesignated by like chai acters of reference.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seenthat 1 designates the body of a trunk or other suitablereceptacle havinga hinged cover 2. These parts have been shown to more fully illustratethe application and operation of the present in vention.

In carrying out the invention I provide an angular brace-rod 3, theintermediate portion of which is preferably circular in cross-sectionand has its opposite ends 4 and 5 flattened, so as to form terminal armsor links. The upper and shorter arm at has a pivotal connection 6 withthe inner side of one end of the lid and adjacent to the hinged edgethereof. The main portion of the brace-rod is located within the body ofthe trunk, and the free end thereof forinsa link which is pivoted, as at7, to the free end of a link or arm 8, which has its opposite endpivoted to the inner side of the adjacent end of the trunk, as indicatedat 9. It will be under stood that the brace is arranged adjacent to theend of the trunk, as plainly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings, and alsothat it is preferable to employ similar braces at opposite ends ofthetrunk, although but one brace has been shown in the drawings.

By reference to Fig. 2, which shows the lid of the'trunk in closedpositiomit will be seen that the brace-rod is entirely within the bodyof the trunk. In opening the lid to the upright position thereof, asindicated in dotted lines, it will be seen that the brace-rod is movedvertically with the lid by reason of the Y pivotal connection affordedby' the link 8; When the lid has been folded back into asubstantially-horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 1, it will beseen that the brace-rod descends with the lid until the angled portionof the arm rests upon the upper edge of the back of the trunk, wherebythe weight of the lid is supported by the arm and thelatter is in turnsupported upon the upper edge of the trunk, and thereby relieves thehinges of all strain. To protect the upper edge of the back against theaction of the angled portion of the brace-rod, I prefer to employ asubstantially U-shaped metallic clip 10, which embraces the upper edgeof the back of the trunk and receives the wear of the brace-rod, andthereby forms a reinforcement for the back.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the lid may beopened and closed without separately operating the bracered as thelatter automatically folds and unfolds during the movement of the lid.

The connection of the brace-rod withthe end of the trunk may be formedin several other different ways, one of which has been shown in Figs. 3and 4, in which the link 8 is dispensed with, and thelower free end ofthe brace-rod is'provided with a transversely-extending pivot-pin 11,which extends toward the adjacent end of the trunk and is slidablyreceived in a vertically-disposed slot 12, formed in the end of thetrunk. Instead of forming this slot through the end of the trunk it'ispreferable to provide a reinforcing-plate 13, secured-to the inner sideof the end of the trunk and provided with the slot 12. B y thisconstruction an opening in the end of the trunk is obviated,whi'ch mightweaken the latter.

In this modified form of the device the upper arm 4 is pivoted to thelid, as in the first-described form, and by reason of the pivot-pin 11being slidably received within theslot 12 the brace-rod may movevertically withthe lid and also swing laterally upon the pivot-pin 11 asa center, so as'to fold inwardly and outwardly, according to theposition of the lid, so that the brace-rod may assume the positions asshown and described for the first form of the device.

Another modified form has been shown in Fig. 5, in which the lower endof the bracerod is provided with a longitudinal slot 14, pivotallyreceiving a pivot-pin 15, fixed upon the adjacent end of the trunk, andalso slidable longitudinally upon such pin as a guide. In this form ofthe device the pivot-pin 15 is located at a suitable distance from thebottom of the trunk and also from the back thereof,

so as to permit of the lateral swinging movement of the arm upon thepivot-pin 15, as will be understood.

In each form of the device there is employed an angled brace-rod, theupper end of which has a pivotal connection with the lid and the lowerend forming a link, which also has a slidable connection with the bodyof the trunk, so that the rod may move automatically with the lid, andits angled portion may embrace and rest upon the upper edge of the backof the trunk in the open position of the lid, and thereby form asupportingbrace for the latter.

What I claim is' 1. The combination with a trunk or the like, having ahinged lid, of. a brace for the lid, having its opposite ends connectedto the trunkbody'and the lid, respectively, and an intermediate portionof the brace resting upon the upper edge of the trunk-back, in thesubstantially-horizontal open position of the lid, the opposite ends ofthe brace being located below the upper edge of the trunk-back.

2. The combination with a trunk or the like, having a hinged lid orcover, of a brace, having its outer end connected to the lid, and itsinner end having a vertically-slidable connection with the trunk, theentire brace hav ing a bodily-vertical movement during the opening andclosing of the lid, and hanging upon the upper edge of the back, in thesubstantially-horizontal and open position of the lid, entirelysupporting the latter, and relieving the hinged connection of strain.

3. The combination with a trunk or the like, havinga hinged lid, of anangled bracered, having its opposite ends pivotally connected to thetrunk body and lid, respectively, and also having a bodily-verticalmovement during the opening and closing of the lid, the angled portionof the bracerod embracing and hanging upon the upper edge of thetrunk-back, in the substantiallyhorizontal open position of the lid, andthe opposite ends of the brace-rod being located below the upper edge ofthe trunk-back.

4. The combination with a trunk or the like, having a hinged lidgof anangled bracerod, having its upper end pivoted to one end of the lid, itsopposite end being located within the body of the trunk, and having alaterally-pivotal and vertically-slidable engagement therewith, theangled portion of the brace-rod embracing and resting upon the upperedge of the trunk-back, in the sub stantially horizontal open'positionof the lid, the lower end of the brace-rod being at its lowermost limitin both the open and closed positions of the lid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC WV. LAMB.

Witnesses:

W. J. DANCEY, L. O. WATKINS.

